The Hunted Regressor: My Heretic Saint System-Chapter 141: Demon Of Mimicry

***

The black forest stretched ahead of Ignotus while veins continued to pulse faintly underfoot, increasing in number the closer he got to his target.

Again, there were essentially four Demons here.

Four bosses, each one in its own quadrant of this land.

The rules were simple: everyone could go after whichever Demon they wanted, but, though a free-for-all, killing even one would take several students working together.

They were Demons after all.

Yet Ignotus didn’t want to team up with anyone.

He wanted to face a Demon alone and test his mettle against it.

The man needed to see how far he could really go now, to see if what he had built could break a Demon... he needed it to be capable of that much. But just as he was about to pass a tiny hill and reach it, Eris’s voice fluttered in his head:

’Someone’s coming.’

’Of course they are.’

Ignotus turned around with a sigh.

"THERE HE IS!"

"GET HIM!"

Two silhouettes burst from a black brush.

No doubt they were Acolytes; their speed said as much.

An improvement relative to last time.

And yet... no objective was given to him.

Even earlier, when the game started, surprisingly, he was given nothing.

This, he could understand, because perhaps these assassins were nobodies...

But what did that say about the Demons? Why was he given nothing there?

’Weird. Maybe I need to get closer to the Demon first.’

Well, he’d see soon on the second one, but the first...

"Come."

He’d have to kill them.

"Be a good warmup."

Ignotus materialized his sword and gloves as the two assassins fanned out, their bodies flaring with light. That immediately made him feel the heat, bright Divinity licking across their daggers.

"Fire, huh?"

He raised his blade, ready to meet them head-on—

’Actually... no.’

Only to then turn on his heel and run.

***

The crowd lost it.

"WHAT?! HE’S RUNNING?!"

"THE STRANGER’S RETREATING!"

"ARE THESE ASSASSINS THAT STRONG?!"

"NO! HE’S JUST A LUCKY COWARD! I TOLD YOU!"

Even Lothar was in disbelief, though for an entirely different reason.

Since when were these two students Fire Acolytes?!

It was a question he didn’t dare ask aloud.

Unlike last time, they hadn’t come into the arena just before it began.

No, they were here, living in the Academy dorm, and attending every class. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

This was something he never expected, making him look at all the students under him differently, no longer able to trust who they said they were.

And further than that, why were these two focusing on Ignotus?

Did they want him dead so they could have easier access to Lord Lykos?!

Is that what Ignotus figured out? Telling them that he wouldn’t interfere by running away?

But John, who floated next to him, disagreed with that.

"That isn’t escape... the boy is calculating."

Words that paused many in the crowd.

***

And Ignotus was indeed.

’Two Acolytes with the same element, moving in sync, both clearly trained? No thanks.’

He couldn’t use [Fortune’s Wheel], not yet at least, as that was reserved for the Demon. The same went for his Hands of Lethe, which meant his only tool here was [Wise Fool.]

That skill demanded precision—a direct hit, and with these two flying around, throwing mini suns at him? Too risky.

So no, he wouldn’t fight fair with them.

Though the assassins seemed not to care for whatever he was planning, continuing their chase after him. They quickly began to attack, trying to slow him down.

Fireballs whizzed past Ignotus’s shoulders, slamming into the ground before him, leaving molten craters. Yet he didn’t pause for even a moment, using the Corrupted trees as cover, many of which melting halfway through as a result of the fireballs crashing into them.

Ignotus kept dodging one fireball after another before suddenly slowing down a little, mimicking exactly what they were aiming for.

’Now to make them overcommit.’

The moment he let his pace drag and faked a stumble, the assassins spotted it instantly, taking the bait.

"Got him!"

"Die!"

They both unleashed a wide sweep of flame, a twin spiral that merged midair into a roaring tornado of fire.

"There we go."

The instant before the flames reached him, Ignotus twisted to the side, planted his foot, and swung.

His sword met the edge of the flaming tornado and ’crit’ the attack itself.

BOOM!

An explosion bloomed backward as the two firestorms collided and blew apart, the shockwave sending debris flying in every direction.

The two assassins didn’t even have time to react, their own spells slamming into them, folding them into the inferno.

Yet they somehow staggered out of it alive, their clothes charred and their masks cracked—

"Warmup’s over."

Ignotus was already there, not giving them a chance to even breathe.

He stepped forward and swung a single downward slash.

Two heads hit the dirt.

***

"HE DID IT AGAIN!"

"STRANGER! STRANGER!"

"NEVER UNDERESTIMATE HIM!"

And the crowd went wild!

They’d lost their already lost minds.

Even the commentators were speechless for a moment before Lothar finally barked out:

"HOW—? He turned their spells against them!"

John, once more, knew exactly how.

’His Second Rune must’ve reached Rank Four.’

A fact that he wasn’t intent on sharing.

***

Ignotus exhaled, watching the ash settle.

’Too easy~.’

But then—crunch, the sound of ice cracking the ground made him instantly move.

He dashed behind a blackened tree, its pulsing veins dimming around him.

Two figures slid into view on a trail of frozen mist.

One was tall, the other short, but both were fast.

’Are they...’

"Ah! We were too late! It’s all because you’re so slow!"

The smaller one shouted at the taller one.

Yes, there was no need to check.

’Lykos and Ulv.’

The two wore bluish wolf masks, fitting their wolf-folk status.

Ignotus didn’t call out to them; he just watched them bicker.

They’d be fine; those two always were.

And as for him? He had his own hunt.

So he turned away, vanishing deeper into the forest.

’Gaia’s out there too... but no hand-holding this time.’

Much like those two and their Demon, she had her own fight.

Though she was now his wife, he couldn’t protect her forever. She had her own path to walk, and if she wanted to keep up with him, she had to take these risks.

As did Ignotus, since he didn’t have the privileges she or the rest of them did.

Only Eris, this mask, his madness, and the urge to push further than anyone else.

That was why he had to face this alone.

And sure enough, the realm granted him his wish.

The black forest finally opened up to a clearing of bone-white grass.

Standing in the middle of it was the Demon.

Its eyes were pale gray.

Its hair was long and white.

Its clothes were black, and its face was...

Exactly like his.

’...ah.’

Ignotus’s grin stretched.

’A Demon of mimicry, huh?’

He stepped forward, raising his sword.

"Perfect. Let’s see which one of us breaks first."